Question

[sharpiefan]

A friend is going to knit me a period comforter (I don't knit, myself) and I want to know what colour I should ask for?

There is the possibility I may end up wearing it while in uniform at some point. (I'm Other Ranks, in the 50th Foot during the Peninsular War - 1808-1814). I already have a pair of black fingerless mitts, but I am aware that matching scarf-and-glove sets are relatively modern, and very likely wouldn't apply to Other Ranks back then anyway.

Comments

[msmcknittington]

I don't really know much about that period of time, but generally for utilitarian items (i.e. stuff that the average person would have used to stay warm) for non-military folk, red and natural sheep colors are good. Natural sheep colors are things like unbleached white, gray, brown and black. So I guess you need to figure out which one would be most appropriate for wearing with a uniform and/or what your persona would be able to afford.

[sharpiefan]

I think I'll ask for a red one - the chances of actually having to wear it when on parade or anything is remote in the extreme, seeing as our season has pretty much finished by October.

Thanks!

[black_hound]

I have to ask because I think this is one of thos British English to American English translation errors. *g*

But what is a comforter?

[msmcknittington]

It's the period term for a scarf. It persists until at least the 1860s, and from what I've seen in antique knitting/crochet books, scarf generally refers to a dresser scarf (like a doily, table runner thing) until after 1900. I'm not sure when scarf supersedes comforter for a clothing item.

[black_hound]

Aha! Over here the word comforter means a bedspread or quilt.

Do you have any thoughts on the great 'they never wore knitted scarves(comforter)' debate? I've seen near bloodlettings on that topic. *g*

[msmcknittington]

That's what comforter means in the US now. But in the 19th century, it meant a scarf. "Muffler" is another period term.

The periods I usually research for knitting are the 16th century and the Victorian period, so the answer is no for the 16th century, and yes for the Victorian period because there are extant knitting patterns from the period, starting in the 1840s. As for earlier than that, I don't really know, but in the 1830s and 1840s there was this sudden interest in handiwork among middle and upper class women, so there were tons of manuals addressing knitting and crochet published, which is why we have patterns from the 1840s for comforters/scarves. It's not necessarily that they suddenly sprang into existence, but that we have good documentation for them existing at that time.

I mean, if it's cold and you need the scarf to stay warm, then it's a better option than getting hypothermia, and a knitted fabric is going to read better than a pair of earmuffs or poly fleece. If someone's trying to stop someone from staying warm, then they can talk to my boot.

My opinion on most Great Debates of Reenactment is that both sides need to do more research, anyway. :P I wouldn't be surprised if people were knitting scarves before the 1840s, and it's just that the documentation has reached everyone's attention yet.

[black_hound]

The Am Rev War debate usually swirls around there not being any archeological finds or artistic reference. But I've always thought that if people were knitting hats and stockings and mittens/gloves why wouldn't you also knit something to keep your neck and chest warm? Why would that be such an an omission?

The naysayers in RevWar insist that the mufflers were made from woven cloth, not knitted. With every scrap of fabric being so valuable? Maybe they did use a leftover piece for a scarf, but I've seen so many original Rev War garments where the linings and other inconspicuous places in the construction were pieced from multiple fabric remnants makes me think that they might have not wanted to waste a length of cloth for a scarf when it could be knitted instead.

God. Who knows, but YEAH, "talk to my boot" pretty much covers it. XD

[msmcknittington]

I don't really buy the leftover fabric argument, but I could see cloth being used specifically for that purpose, or even scarves/mufflers/whatever you want to call them being woven specifically to size. And if they were knitted, I'd expect them to be frameknit, rather than handknit. I dunno. I wish I knew enough to say either way.

God. Who knows, but YEAH, "talk to my boot" pretty much covers it. XD

Ha! That's basically my answer to everything that might involve someone staying healthy and safe. Need glasses to see? Wear the modern ones! Anyone doesn't like it, the boot.

[black_hound]

What msmcknittington said.

Natural sheep colors seem the safe way to go.

[wandererriha]

To the best of my knowledge, knitted scarves/mufflers/comforters did exist in the 18th c. As mentioned by msmcknittington, they would have been frame knit using a Knitting Jenny or something similar.

Natural, red, or navy dyes would probably be best for colors. :}